Lubricator



a 74 ggg March 2 1926.

E. MCCOY LUBRICATOR Fi led March 12, 1924 I NV EN TOR, 7% g 4 H M/ By XX a sures lubrication of the engines when the 10- may be attached to thePatented Mar. 2, i926.

UNE'EED STATES 1574383? PATENT OFFlQEI,

ELIJAI-I McCOY, or DETROIT, MIoIIIGAN, AssIGNon To ABMSTEB HAVARD,ALBERT L. STBIOKER, AND MARGARET E. WARRE ALL or DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ANDALMA ZIENERT AND WILLIAM zInNEBT, BOTH or JAeKsoN, MICHIGAN.

LUBRICATOR.

Application filed March 12, 1924.- Serial No. 698,607.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIJAH MoCoY, a citizen of the United States, andresiding at Detroit, in the county of. lVayne and State of Michigan,have invented a new and Improved Lubricator, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to lubricators especially adapted to teedgraphite orsimilar lubricants to'the steam chests of steam engines,particularly locomotive engines, and its object is to provide alubricator of this character which may be used either alone or incombination with another or main lubricator; which will not interferewith or choke the feed of the main lubricator; which will feed nographite while the engine is at rest; which will not get out of order;and which can be adjusted with a minimum of trouble.

The drawing is a central vertical section of this improved lubricator.

This lubricator is an improvement on that shown in my Patent No.1,192,083, granted July 25, 1916, and the improvement resides in themain valve and in the means for controlling it. vided with a pipe Aextending-to thelmain, lubricator in the cab of the locomotive which isusually connected by an independent pipe to the steam dome so that itreceives full boiler pressure steam whether the throttle is open or not,which is desirable as it encomotive is coasting. A valve is provided inthe pipe leading to this main lubricator to avoid loss of lubricant wienthe 1020- motive is idle. The pipe A therefor-e con-- veys lubricant tothe lubricator shown in thedrawing and is also filled with steam undersubstantially full boiler pressure. D is a threaded connection wherebythe lubricator steam chest of the engine to be lubricated. Thelubricator body K or container for the lubricant has a threaded upperend B which is adapted to be connected to the pipe A by means of acoupling nut S. The container may be filled upon the removal of the plugL or in any other desired manner.

Within the lubricator is a central tube F near the lower end of which isa valve seat I on which normally rests a double-piston or dumb-bellpiston valve having two end members 0 and H connected by a reduced Thislubricator is again proportion E. v This valve is freely slidable withinthe tube F but when on its seat it closes the port J which connects bymeans of: a vertical passage R with the container K. A valve M having ahand wheel 0 controls the effective capacity of the port J and ispreferably provided with a needle point N to prevent the port beingclogged.

Themain valve is formed with a longitudinal central passage T whichconnects with the space between the parts C and H by means of a smallhole P so that the pressure between these parts is always practicallythe same as the pressure below the part 1-1, A

small ring may be screwed into the upper end of the tube F to limittheupward movements of the main valve and a calibrated nipple G may bescrewedinto the upper end of the valve.

Theoperation of this valve is as follows. \Vhilc the engine is'at rest,and probably While running veryv slowly, the valve H remains on its seatI and. prevents any lubricant passing from the chamber K. It does notprevent lubricantfrom passing down from the pipe A. The normal pressureof the steam is on top of the upper member C of the valve and assists inholding down the Il'ltllIl'VZllVB. lVhen there is suction in the steamchest, as when alocomotive engine is coasting'without steam, the valveremains on its seat and prevents loss of lubricant.

Ihave noticed that when a pressure gauge is attached to the steam chest,that it shows a variation or pulsa't-ion of pressure, the

maximumotten being as much as live pounds above that ot the coder. Thisis probably due to the surge of the steam which flows through the steampipe and through the steam chest into the cylinder when the port isopen,'but when the port is suddenly closed and before the other port isopened, this surge is sufficient to pile up a momentary excessofpressure in the steam chest, and a pressure in the'lower end ofthevalve H which is greater than. the'pressure above the valve plus theweight of this valve, and this excess lifts this valve from its seat,but only momentarily. This uncovers the port J and permits steam toenter the chamber K to condense and mix with the lubricant and to forceit downward and outward through the port J. But as soon as thisbaclepressure pulsation ends, the valve is again seated by its ownweight and the pressure above the valve.

Thus there will be rapid and numerous minute discharges of lubri ant tothe conned tion D, the quantities being controlled by the valve M. Thering V is-adjustable and so controls the lift of the main valve. nippleG is preferably square in cross section, as is also the reduced part Wof the main valve, so that it may be gripped without r'narring itswearing surface when the nipple is being removed. This lubricatortherefore adds a slight amount of graphite to the lubricant pas ng tothe cylinder from the main lubricator in the cab, and supplies that veryimportant and desirable material to the engine ina manner impossiblewith a hydrostatic lubricator whose limited feed passage becomes cloggedwith the graphite.

I claim z- 1.- In a lub-ricator for steam engines, the combination withlubricant cup having a central tubular portion adapted to be con nectedto a steam boiler by means of a main lubricator and a pipe forconducting steam and lubricant from said main lubricat-or, and a chamberfor graphite surrounding said central portion, said lubricator beingformed with an internal valve seat adjacent the lower end of the'centraltubular portion and with a passage connecting said chamber and the interioroi the tubular portion just above the valve seat, a manuallyadjustable valve to control the effective area of said passage, and adr1-n1b==bell piston valve mounted Within said tul'rular' portion andadapted to engage said valve seat, said valve being subject. to saidboiler pressure at its upper end,- saidvalve having, a centrallongitudinal passage to permit the passage of the lubricant receivedtrom said pipe.

2. In a lubricator for steam engines, the combination with a lubricantvcup having" a central tubular portion adapted to be connected to a steamboiler by means of a main lt'ibric'ator and. a pipe for conducting,steam and lubricant from said: main lubrieator, and a chamber forgraphite. surrounding said central portion, said lubrieator being formedwith aninternal valve seat adjacent the lower end of the central tubularportion and with a passage connecting said chamben and thein-t'erior' ofthe tubular portion just above the valve seat,. a manually adjustablevalveto control theelteetive area of said passage, a dumb=bell piston.valve The mounted Within said tubular portion and adapted to engage saidvalve seat, said valve being subject to said boiler pressure at itsupper end, said valve having a central longitudinal passage to permitthe passage of thelubricant received from-said pipe, and a holeconnecting the space around the reduced portion of the valve to itscentral.

passage. Y

3. In a lubricator for steamengines, the combination with a lubricantcup having a central tubular portion adapted to be connected to a steamboiler by means of a main lubrjicator and a pipelor conducting steam.and lubricant from said main lubricator,

and achamber for graphite surrounding tral longitudinal passage topermit the.

passage of the lubricant received from said pipe, and means to restrictthe movement of said piston valve. I

4.. In alubricator for steam engines, the conilbina-ti-on with alubricant; cup havinga central tubular portion adaptedtobe' con-- nectedto a steam boiler and a chamber for graphite surrounding said portion,said l-ubrieator being formed with aninternal valve seat adjacent thelower end of the central tubular portion and with a passage con neetingsaid cha-rnber and the interior of the tubular portion just above thevalve seat, a manually adjustable valve to control the effective area ofsaid passage, a dumb-bell piston valve mounted Within said tubularportion adapted to engage said valve seat,

said valve being subject to the steam pressure of said boiler atitsupper end, said valve body being adapted to connect to the dischargepipe of a main lubricator and receive lubricant and boiler pressuretherefrom, said valve having a centrallongitudinal passage

